Many pastors have asked me why I feel led to
encourage pastors.The Bible
says in 1 Thessalonians 5:12,13

King
James Bible:

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which
labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to
esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.And be at peace among
yourselves.”

Several years ago when I lived in Oklahoma, my Pastor’s wife
was my closest friend and we always sat together in church.One Sunday when the invitation was
given to accept Jesus as your Personal Savior, she walked down the aisle
to the front of the church where my Pastor, her husband, was standing. He
was so overwhelmed!He took
his wife’s hand and wept.

She
gave a testimony and said, “I have been teaching Sunday School for many
years and singing in the Choir, but I have never had a personal
relationship with Jesus.I
have never experienced the Joy that only Jesus can give in the midst of
heartache”.

Instead of that
church rejoicing with them, they held an emergency meeting and voted to
ask the Pastor to leave.I
have never forgotten that and I know that one day every member of that
church who had a part in that decision will stand face to face with God
and give an account for that decision that so devastated my Pastor and his
wife.

My
friend told me when we were alone after the service as she was
brokenhearted and weeping, “Pastors and their spouses need
encouragement”.

Joyce
Landorf says on one of her teaching tapes, “I was waiting at an airport
with a lady and she pointed to herself and said, “Pastors and their wives
need encouragement”.

The
Bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue.We have a choice to make in our
lives.We can choose to
encourage or we can choose to discourage.If we say hurtful, discouraging
words to one another, we might as well put a gun to their head and shoot
them.It has the same
effect.

The Bible also says,“Inasmuch as
ye have done it unto one of the least of these, My brethren, ye have done
it unto Me”.We need to remember this
verse the next time that we are tempted
to

say something that will discourage
someone.

Are
you an encourager?Do you try
to find ways to say things to bring peace and happiness into someone’s
life?The best way and also
the only way to encourage someone is to tell them that Jesus Loves them
and then prove it to them by your
actions.